by night to Caieta afterward to Beneuent last of all in the 17 yeare of his Popeship he came to Venice disguised in the apparell of one that was his cooke where lurking in an abbey he became a Gardener A while after he was bewrayed and knowne and there vpon calling a councell by the commaundement of duke Sebastian he was receyued with great honour and brought into S. Maryes Church w t pontificall pompe The Emperour hearing that the Pope was at Venice desyred the Venetians to yeld to him his ennemye being likewyse the ennemye of the common wealth The Venetians denyed to do it therefore the Emperour sente his sonne Otho with a nauye of souldiours to demaund Alexander of them but he charged him withall that he should attempt nothing in any case till he himselfe were come vnto him But Otho being a lustye yonge Prince ful of courage and desirous of renowne neglecting his fathers commaundement would needes encounter the Venetians whereby hee was ouercome taken prisoner bounde brought to Venice Herevpon Alexander began to set vp his crest and put out his hornes and woulde not take peace with the Emperour in anye case vnlesse the Emperour would come to Venice take suche conditions of peace as hee woulde offer him Whereuppon the good and carefull father to prouide for the infortunate miserye of his sonne promised hee woulde come at the time appointed and so came where they commoned vppon conditions of peace But the Pope woulde not absolue the Emperour of excōmunication till he came to S. Markes Church where before all the people Pope Alexander commaunded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe on the ground and to craue pardon The Emperour did as hee commaunded him then the Pope trode on the Emperours necke with his foote sayinge it is written Thou shalt walke vppon the serpent and adder and shalt treade downe vnder rhy feete the Lion and dragon The Emperour disdayninge this reproche aunswered It was not sayd to thee but to Peter The Pope then treadinge downe his necke againe sayde Both to mee and to Peter The Emperour then fearing some daunger durst saye no more so the peace was concluded The conditions wherof are these that the Emperour should vphold Alexander to be true Pope that he should restore all that did belonge to the Church of Rome which had beene taken away in the warres Thus the Emperour departed with his sonne The Pope to shew himselfe thankfull to Venice bestowed of his liberality giftes vppon duke Sebastian the Senate First he gaue them a white Taper which onely the Popes vsed to Beare Secondlye he lycensed them to seale theyr letters with leade and he graunted theyr Duke the third seate in the Popes Theatre Fourthly he graunted that on Ascention daye they should haue whole and perfit pardōs for euer at S. Markes Church Fiftly he gaue the Duke viii banners of silke and an attier for the head like an hat Afterward Alexander depriued the bishop of Papia of his Pall exempted him of the dignitye of caryinge the Crosse because he toke the Emperours part He made many Canons in a councel at Lateran as that an archbishop should not receyue his Pall vnlesse he had sworne first to be true and obedient to the Pope And that a man should not marrye his brothers wyfe beinge wydowe that they that toke orders should vowe chastetye that a bastarde should not be made a bishop that the canonizinge of Saincts belonged onlye to the Pope that such sainctes should haue deuine honour Amonge other he made Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury a rancke traytour to his prince but stoutlye vpheld therein by the Pope a sainct He bounde kinge Henry the seconde of Englande excusing himselfe of the death of Thomas that his subiectes should franklye freely appeale frō him to the Court of Rome that afterward none should be king of England vnlesse he were first called king by the Pope This arose vppon the quarel betwene the king and Thomas Becket who so vexed and disquieted his soueraigne prince with all the nobles and prelates of this Realme with cursinges excommunications interditinges threatninges mouing both French kinge Pope to moleste the kinge in his behalfe and finallye as then Pope Alexander played the incarnate deuill against the Emperour so did Becket rage like a subdeuill against the kinge in England till certaine not able to endure his arrogante seditious and trayterous doinges in great despite therof slue him at Canterbury He decreed that a mā shoulde not be deuorced frō his wyfe though she had the Leprosye Also that those that could be proued vsurers shoulde neyther be admitted to the Communion nor buryed in the Church after these other like deedes he dyed Anno 1181. Robert Montēsis Chronicle hath that Lewes king of Fraūce and Henry kinge of Englande wayted on Pope Alexander as his gentlemē vsshers and footemen the one leading his horse by the bridle on the right syde and the other on the left throughe the whole City Taciacū to Legeris In this Popes time the Sunne was Eclipsed and earthquakes were euery where Also there were certaine called VValdenses who defended manye articles against the Pope and his doctrine as transubstantiation Purgatorye c. 112. Lucius the thirde LVcius the thirde borne in Thuscia of an honourable stocke succeded by consente of all the Cardinals But the Romaynes so vexed him that hee was driuen oute of the Citye and manye of his frendes and companye taken by the Romaynes some were set vppon Asses with their faces towardes the tayle and Miters on their heades and so ledde throughe the Citye in mockadge some vsed despitefullye otherwyse Some had their eyes put oute by the Romaynes in a madnes othersome murthered for this cause onelye that he wente about to take away the name of Consuls in the Citye The Pope sufferinge this great shame wente to Verona where in a councell he condemned the Romaynes doinges and euen then when the Christians were persecuted in Asia which pretence of holines wrought the perill of many that they might be succoured because the ennemyes were emboldned to wast the bolye lande vnder their Captaine Saladinus presuminge for that our Princes were at discētion This Pope being mindfull of his coūtrye Thuscia bestowed large giftes vppon it and obtayned of the Emperour that the Hetruriās should haue the selfe same coyne that the Lucēsians amōg them had euen as the Lombards had onelye the money of Papia with the Emperours coyne Valerius Anselmus wryteth that this Pope contrarye to other allowed the Sacraments that were done by whoremaister chapleins he dyed in Verona Anno 1185. In his time were greate earthquakes which did destroye diuers notable Cityes in Sicil were destroyed thereby fiue and twentye thousand parsons The Armenians being at this time at greate debate with the Greeke Church did for hatred thereof become subiect to the Church of Rome 113. Vrbanus the thirde VRbanus who because of his
an anchoresse in S. Albons abbey had this terrible visiion she heard an old man of graue countenaunce crye thre times VVo wo to all that dwel on the earth and then faded away againe Anno 1258. Richard Earle of Cornewall sonne to king Iohn of Englād was chosē king of Almany for his great treasure and the Pope procured that he was chosen Emperour but he did that closely because he had likewyse for the same matter taken a bribe of Alphonsus kinge of Spaine Whereupon a certaine Poet made this Verse Nummus ait pro me nubet Comubia Rome Thus money sayth for loue of me Cornewal with Rome shal lincked be Beside these shiftes made for money this Pope Alexāder vsed another notorious knacke he abusing deluding the simplicitye of the king of England made him beleeue that he would make his sonne Edmond king of Apulia if hee woulde sustaine the charges thereof to maintaine the warres appertayning to it wherupon the king caused his sonne forthwith to be proclaymed king of Apulia and sent to the Pope all the treasure and riches that he could make in his Realme And thus was the king and his sonne deluded and the Realme wonderfullye impouerished by the Popes craft It were to long to discouer all the superstitious wicked deuises of this Pope who at length going to Viterbium Anno 1262. to make peace betweene the Genewaies Venetians according to his owne fansye and because he coulde not haue his will therein he dyed there for anger 125. Vrban the fourth VRban the fourth borne in Fraunce and as some saye was first called Pantaleon being patriarch of Hierusalem As sone as he was Pope by and by he commaūded souldiours out of Fraunce to subdue Manfred the ennemy of the Church for the furtherance therof hee requested Lewes kinge of Fraunce to send his brother Charles the Earle of Anteganor w t an oast into Italye and made him king of both Sicils After many conflictes the said Charles ouercame and slue Manfred at Beneuent and receyued of the Pope against all lawe and right the kingdome of Sicill w t the dukedome of Calabrie and Apulia whereuppon arose many great slaughters While this Pope was frō Rome at Pruse the Romaynes coueting their olde libertyes made a newe kinde of officers callinge them Branderesies who had power of life and death in their handes they chose one Brācaleo a priuate parsō of Bononia to be Senatour whō banished late before they restored But touching Vrban it was not much more then this that he did sauinge that hee ordayned an holye daye namelye Corpus Christi daye the fifte day after Trinitye sonday vpon this occasion as some and most likely do write namelye Arnold Bostro Petrus Praemonstratensis Anno 1264. as they saye a certaine woman called Eue in a Religious house in Leodia with whom the Pope in time past had beene well acquainted had a reuelation which she signifyed by wryting to the Pope beseeching him that the sayd day might be kept holye in the honour of the Sacrament of the altar to whom the Pope according to her desire returned his aunsweare with this Bull to confirme the holy daye The Bull of Pope Vrban to Eue the Anchoresse for the establishing of the holy day called Corpus Christi daye BIshop Vrban seruaunt to the seruauntes of God sendeth greeting and apostolicall bleshing to Eue our beloued daughter in Christe VVe know O daughter that thy soule hath longed with greate desire that a solemne feast day might be appointed for the bodye of oure Lord Iesus Christ in Gods Church to be celebrate of all faithfull Christians for euer And therfore for thy ioye we signifie vnto thee that we haue thought it good for the establishing of the catholicke faith that beside the dailye remembraunce which the Church maketh of so wonderfull a Sacrament there should be more special and solemne recorde appointing a certaine daye for it namelye the fifte daye after Whitsontyde next ensuinge that on the said daye the faithfull flocke do gather together to the Churches deuoutlye and effectuallye and let that daye be to all Christiās ioyfull with new holines and holye with much ioye as is more set out in our apostolicall letters sente for this cause through the world And know ye that we haue caused this feast daye to be solemnized with all oure brethren Cardinals bishops and archbishops and other prelats then being at Rome to giue example of celebratinge the same to all that shal see or vnderstand the same Therfore let thy soule magnifye the Lorde and thy spirite reioyce in God thy sauiour for thine eyes haue seene his saluation which we haue prepared before the face of al people Moreouer reioyce because almighty God hath giuen the thy hartes desire and the fulnes of the heauenly grace hath not disapointed the of the will of thy Iippes c. This Vrhan sate more then three yeares betweene the Guelphes Gibelines and prouoked their quarrels to be tryed by the edge of the sworde to the confusion of manye through Italye He being on a time vpbrayed that he was of base linage aunsweared that no mā was noble by byrth but that to be made noble by vertue is true nobility finallye beinge at Pruse because in great attemptes he had not his desired successe he dyed for griefe Masseus sayth that a blazing starre appeared three nights before the death of this Pope and ceased the same night that he dyed 126 Clemens the fourth CLemens the fourth called before Gui Fulcodius borne in Narbonie ere he came to be Pope was a maryed man and had 3. children by his wyfe a sonne two doughters He as his predecessour began continued in sheddinge of bloud he sent for Charles Earle of Angeow to bringe an armye into Italye where he slew Manfred and was made kinge of Sicill and Hierusalem but vppon this condition that he should paye yearelye to the Pope fortye thousande Crownes This bargaine beinge made betweene them great slaughter bloudshed was committed in diuers places for the said Pope betrayed Conradinus sonne to Conradus kinge of Sicill and inheritour of the kingdomes to the former Charles so that as he passed through the fieldes of Viterbie with an oast of Germaynes wher his abode was at that time the Pope by report sayd that the sayd Conradinus was as a lambe brought to the slaughter shewing therby that he was of councell to the treason Afterward when he foughte with Charles about Naples at the first conflict had sufficient victorye yet then the treason reuealing it selfe Conradinus Frederick duke of Austria were taken being myserablye vsed in their captiuitye mocked and flouted were in the ende beheaded by the Popes commaundement because Conradinus claymed the kingdome which his auncetours possessed Thus the kingdome of Naples came into the hand of the Frenchmen and the dukedome of Sweuia decayed and came to nought by the wickednes of the Pope In the time of
desperation and so continued a most myserable man to his death tormented in conscience Paulus Vergerius did also hardlye escape the rigorous hand of this Iohn Casa But to be short it were a tedious thinge to declare at large all the demeanour of this Pope Iulye the thirde in the time of his Iubelie and in the Tridentine councell in establishing the idoll of Lauret and in his quarell braule with the bishop of Armin comptrollour of his house for one peacocke other such like trifles For he delighted much in the eating of peacocks and swynes fleshe but when his Phisitian had giuen him warning that he should forbeare swines fleshe because it was hurtfull for the goute his disease yet Iulius would not forbeare The Phisition therefore gaue councell to the Popes Steward to take order that the Pope should haue no such meate serued at the table Whereuppon the Pope wantinge his dish asked What is become of our bacon The Steward aunswered that the Phisition willed him that hee shoulde not set it on The Pope forthwith violently brast into these wordes sayinge Fetche me my meate hether Al di spetto di Dio as he might say in English In spite of Gods hart This blasphemous outrage is a common phrase amonge ruffians and varlets of Italye in their rage and as coÌ„mon with Pope Iulius as to other beside other lasciuious and vnciuill speach On a time he had at his table a peacocke which was vntouched and therefore he commaunded that it should be kept for him til Supper for I wil quoth he haue certaine of my freindes with me at supper in my garden When supper time came the Pope was serued with hot peacocks but his cold peacocke came not in according to his commaundemeÌ„t And therefore he began according to his custome to blaster out his blasphemyes raginge and raylinge One of the Cardinals that sat at the table sayd I beseeche your holines not to be so highlye offended for so small a matter No quoth Iulius If God were so offended for one apple that he threw our first parentes out of Paradise why shoulde not I that am his Uicar be angrye for my peacocke seing a peacocke is of greater valew then an apple This Iulius caused this sentence to be printed on his coyne Gens regnum peribit quod mihi non inseruit That nacion and kingdome shall perishe which doth not serue me When he shoulde create one Peter Betauus Cardinall certaine of the Cardinals stoode against it vrginge especiallye that the sayd bishop was infected with Luthers heresye What then quoth the Pope were it not better for vs by putting on him the Cardinals hat to purge him of that vncleanes and by that bonde to knit him vnto vs rather then to suffer him by escaping from vs to ioyne wyth oure ennemyes in Germanye as Vergerius hath done After sixe yeares raigne this Pope Iulius died Anno 1555. the xxiii daye of May. Upon whom these verses were made Quò ventum est superi quò vis progessa Diones Quò gula quò luxus quò genus omne mali Ambrosie foetent epulae mareotica sordent Vina nisi Iliacus porrigat illa puer Caetera mens horret meminisse ea discat ab vno Crimine me quisquis legerit atque gemat Among diuers other Epitaphs this was written of him and sent from place to place as followeth Iohannes Maria â— Monte. c. Iohn Maria of the mount by haphazard obteining the papacie in the time that the Cardinalles were at a great braule which he durst neuer presume to hope for In 6. yeres he did shed more Christian bloud then any other Antechrist hath done at any tyme. Fex sacrificulorum grex Episcoporum armentum Cardinalium gratitudinis ergo monimentuÌ„ aeternum posuit Ciuill eares perhap will be offended that a man shoulde â—ere set down the sluttishe behauiour vsed in three pointes by this Pope Iuly euen at open table otherwise then any person of meane modestie would do in priuate chamber As Beza sheweth in this EpigraÌ„ made of this Pope Iuly Ebrius ad mensam quum Iulius ille sederet Impia quem potuit Roma nec ipsa pati Tres pariter fertur pelues habuisse paratas Vt triplici triplex vase leuaret onus Vna alui pondus vomitum altera peluis habebat Tertia uesicae concipiebat onus I nunc pontifices Germania dira negato Omnia clausa suo iura tenere sinu And yet this Pope was he whose auctoritie and supremacie was with all humilitie and deuoute reuerence restored here in England in the yere of our Lorde 1554. by queene Mary From this man Cardinal Poole who before was outlawed and vanished for high treason against king Henry the viij came into England and brought with him this Popes blessinge pardon and absolution For the whiche Cardinal Poole was made Primat of England and Archbyshop of Canterbury Thus the Popes blessing and pardon was receiued by the estate of Englande And Pontacus in his cronicle published Anno. 1572. printed in Louany by Iohn Fowler an Englishman that blotteth much paper to publishe grosse vntruthes for the defamynge of his countrey by him forsaken is not ashamed Folio 179. to reporte but boastingly writeth it that kinge Phillip and Queene Mary with the whole Parliament house did humbly kneele vpon theyr knees to receiue the Cardinals blessinge and absolution from the Popes holynesse But it is well known and the knowledge therof dearely bought by Englande how that noble Queene being otherwise of great wisedome and godly minde yet ouermuche deceyued by ignorance in scripture and putting too great a confidence in the Popes autoritie the antiquitie of her religion and the professours therof did euen of simple zeale yeld the disposition and orderinge of her affayres ouermuch to the crafty clergie who with fyre and faggot followed in England the rygorous example of Iuly practized in Italy against those that dissented from the Popes doctrine But this is both at large set forth in the actes and monuments of the Church and further is not pertinent to this purpose and therefore not here to be mentioned at large Onely this is that whiche I note â–ª to what kinde of person of lyfe and conuersation England in these later dayes submitted it selfe as to his generall Pastour and the vicar of Christ. Of what maner of man we receyued blessinge and absolution so deuoutly whom we did so highly commend honour and reuerence aboue our natural prince with heauenly title of our moste holy father the Pope To whom and to whose seruile yoke our prynce dyd yelde her selfe to be at his commaundement whose curse we feared whose loue and fauour we sought to purchase with infinite treasure whose displeasure caused bothe prynce and people to quake as it were at hel fyer If the person that thus bleared vs be considered I doubte not but we shall firste be ashamed of him secondely ashamed of our selues that we haue thus fallen downe and
congregation in the which they may frely call vpon their God sincerely administer the Sacramentes and may fulfill other rites as they were citizens with the priuiledge and highe fauour of the magistrates Happy is that people who enioyeth these thinges and haue so worthy a bishop which gathereth together the dispersed comforteth the broken in heart fauoureth exiles and confirmeth the weake with example and doctrine But perchaunce I may seeme to haue sayde to much to you and to you all most gentle fathers who are troubled with grauer matters and haue no leysure to reade your prayses And indued with suche modestie that you will scarse attende vnto it But beare with me while I doe but my dutie for I prayse not you but the giftes of God that are of you and commende the happy state of your churches vnto the faythful that they may learne to giue thankes and to imitate you I would haue showen the causes why I inscribed to your name the Papall historie of new Rome partly to haue declared my loue towardes you for your benefites bestowed vpon England other countreis Partly that the learning which you haue spread abroade in these days may be defended with your ayde Our Lorde Iesus Christe the prince of sheepeheardes the maister of al truthe the enemy of Antechriste strengthen and confirme you and all your fellowe ministers with the power of the holy ghoste and preserue you in long health to the comfort and ioye of the Christian flocke to the ouerthrowing of Antichriste and the amplifying of his name Amen Iohn Bale Iohn Bale to the Reader I Desire thee Christian Reader vvhosoeuer thou art that delightest in the glory of Christ against the malyce of Antichriste and I beseech thee in the Lord to conster all thinges to the beste euen those matters vvhich seeme to be spoken more bitterly against that mōstrous beast and not to depraue them vvith slaūderings as I vnderstand some of late haue taken occasion to do by my late booke published of the vvriters of Englande Among vvhom some are not ashamed vntrulye to saye that I deale vniustlye vvith some Princes that gouerne the estates of Christēdome Othersome saye that I speake malepertlye and that against all Christiā modestye that I speake vnreuerentlye of Queene Mary of England because in one place I haue vvritten that Iesabell raigneth in Englāde and glutteth her selfe vvith the bloude of Martyrs vvhere as by that name I did not meane Queene Mary but the tyrannie of Rome that miserablye ouerrunneth all Englande For the places in Nicolas Grimoald Traherne Turner the Phisition Hooper ▪ Ridley Rogers Bradford Filpot and other do sufficientlye interprete themselues to be spoken of the greate Antichriste and his mitred and scraped tormentours For as the holye ghoste hath taughte mee I haue called that Romaine Sinagogge the murtherer of Godlye men vvicked Iesabell the horned beast the impe of the Dragō the doughter of the deuill the spouse of Sathan speaking blasphemies the purple beast the misticall Babilon the great strumpet vvith vvhom the kinges of the earth haue cōmitted fornication vvhich haue dronke of the vvyne of her fornication the vvomā cloathed in purple scarlet gould pearles and precious stones hauing a goulden cuppe full of all filthines lustes of the vvorld the mother of fornication and droncke vvith the bloud of the saintes of IESVS CHRIST the habitatiō of deuils and the cage of all euill spirites and hatefull birdes The occasiō vvhich first moued mee herevnto vvas this Anno domini 1554. our Realme of Englande after the xx yeare of her deliueraunce throughe the mercye of God most shamefullye forsooke the holye Gospel of Christe vvhich is the povver and vertue of God to the health of all beleuers made a nevve professiō vnto the great ennemye of God the Romaine deuil and vvicked Antichrist Of the vvhich execrable deede thou shalt read more in the end of this booke Partlye also the horrible vices vvhich follovv this monster vvhereof the most prudent K. Henry the eight had good proofe vvhen he caused the houses of the hooded hypocrites the colleges of the massemongers in his kingdome before their vtter destruction vvhich vvas in the yeare of our Lord God 1538. to be visited by the vvorshipfull doctours of the lavve Thomas Lee Richard Laiton Thomas Bedill Thomas Barthlet the publicke notarie such others In the vvhich there vvere such svvarmes of vvhoremōgers ruffians filthie parsons giltye of sinne against nature Ganimedes and yet votaries and vnmaryed all so that thou vvouldest thincke that there vvere a nevve Gomorrha amonge them The booke of them is called the breuiary of thinges founde out in abbeyes assemblies colleges c. Out of the vvhich booke I vvill shevv but one or other example to an vnsauery tast thereof In the monasterye called Battel abbey in the Diocesse of Chichester these many gilty of sinne agaīst nature vvere foūd in the visitation Iohn the Abbot Richard Salchurst Thomas Cuthberth VVilliam March Iohn Hasting Gregorie Champiō Clemēt VVestfild Iohn Crosse Thomas Crambroke Thomas Basill Iohn Hamfild Iohn Hierome Clemens Grigge Richard Touye and Iohn Austine These vvere incontinente liuers Thomas Lyuet vvyth one maryed vvife one harlot Thomas Cranbroke vvith the same and other beside Lo this is the chast Religion of the Pope At Canterbury amonge the Benedictine monkes these vvere gilty of sinne against nature Richard Godmersham VVilliam Lichfild Christopher Iames Iohn Goldmistone Nicolas Clement VVilliam Causton Iohn Ambrose Thomas Farlegh and Thomas Morton VVhoremongers Christopher Iames aforesaide vvith three maried vvomen and Nicolas Clement vvith one harlot In the Abbey of S. Augustine these vvere found vnchast Iohn the Abbot vvith one vvoman Iohn Langdan vvith tvvo Iohn Langport vvith one Richarde Compton vvith one VVilliam Reynsforth vvith one VVilliā Godmerstone vvith tvvo Dauid Franckes vvith tvvo Robart saltvvood one Laurence Goldstone one VVilliam Holingborne one VVilliā Milton one Iohn Shrevvsbery one and Thomas Barhā gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Bath amonge many other Richard Lincombe had vii harlots iij. maryed vvomen and iiii singlevvomen and he vvas giltye of sinne against nature also VVilliam Benushon had xi harlots beside diuers gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Monkenferlege in Salisbury diocesse Levvis the Prior had 9. harlots Richard the Prior of Mayden Bradley had v. harlots and sixe bastardes VVilliam the Abbot of Bristovve had iiij harlots iij. vnmaried one maryed Thomas Abbot of Abingtō beside his ovvne naturall sister of vvhom he begat tvvo children had three other harlots and this mā vvas the father of many that vvas gilty of sin against nature In the abbey of Sulbred in the diocesse of Cicester George VValden Prior had vij harlots Iohn Standney vij Nicolas duke v. Henry Selvvood tvvo vvith many others Iohn Blanke Prior of Bermondsey had xi harlots At the castel of VVyndsor Henry VVoodvvard had very many harlots Nicolas VVhyden had iiij George VVhitthorne v. Nicolas
worshipped the beast and fynally hereafter detest him and his successours The selfe same thinge is declared in Graftons Cronicle Folio 1346. Where he at large sheweth howe Cardynall Poole was receiued by kinge Phillip Queene Mary and the Parleament and how he perswaded them to be reconciled to this holy father the Pope and how vpon their submission he gaue them absolution in these wordes folowing ¶ Our Lorde Iesu Christ whiche with his moste precious bloudde hath redeemed and washed vs from all our sinnes and iniquities that he might purchase to him selfe a glorious spouse without spot or wrinckle and whom the father hath appointed head ouer all his Churche he by his mercie absolue you and we by the Apostolike auctoritye gyuen vnto vs by the most holy Lorde Pope Iulius the thirde his vicegerent on earthe do absolue and delyuer you and euery of you with the whole Realme and dominions therof from all heresie and schisme and from all and euery iudgements censures and peines for that cause incurred And we also do restore you agayne to the vnitie of our mother the holye Churche as in our letters of Commission shall more plainely appeare c. This being done the kynge and the Queene and all the rest went to the Chappell and chaunted Te deum for ioye of this sweete blessyng of so holy a Pope It maye be that those burgeses and the rest of the ParleameÌ„t house at the time of this absolution thought better of his person when they receyued his blessing but I wyshe those that are yet remayning of them and reade this his lothsome life now to consider what a stinking idoll they honoured ignorantly at that time and what a villains blessing they receyued so deuoutly Consider also what benefittes euery way followed this blessynge for sone after there fell so great extremitie of raine as thoughe the heauen had bewept our iniquitie that the aboundance therof raysed great and perylous fluddes doinge muche harme in diuers places The Thames swelled so high that for the space of fower or fiue dayes boates and barges rowed all ouer saincte Georges fielde and so at Westminster a boate mighte haue rowed from one ende of the Hall to the other Also that yere and the yere following there raigned hot burning feuers and diuers other straunge and newe disseases so contagiously that many people perished in all partes of Englande especially of the most auncient and graue men for in London betwene the .xx. of October and the last of December ther dyed seuen Aldermen Also the yere followinge there ensewed a great dearth and famin throughout all England And agayne the yere after that Newenam bridge Ryce banke Callice Hammes and Guynes were taken by the Frenchmen and the Englishmen driuen cleane out of that parte of Fraunce to their perpetual damage which they had so long enioyed before Ad vnto this also that where as Queene Mary prouided a sufficient power to be transported for the rescewe hereof whiche mighte haue saued it there arose such terrible tempestes of windes and weather continuing foure or fiue dayes vntill such time as the Frenchmen had wrought their purpose and the Englishmen in the meane time by meanes of the terrible tempest were kept of mauger their hartes and such shippes as did aduenture the passage were so shaken and torne with violence of weather as they were enforced to returne with great daunger with losse of all their tackle and furniture Finallye euerye thinge wente so to wracke that as it was thought the noble Prince Queene Mary seing her Realme so to go to decaye conceyued such an inwarde sorrowe of minde that by reason thereof aboute September she fell into an hot burninge feuer which sicknes also was common that yeare throughe all the Realme and consumed a marueylous nomber as Grafton noteth both noble men bishops Iudges knightes gentlemen and farmours and in the ende the Queene dyed thereof and also the Cardinal in one day the 17. day of Nouember Anno 1558. And this was the successe of the Popes blessing therefore God send them plentye of the tree that like the fruite therof 168. Marcellus the second MArcellus the seconde borne in Hetruria was first called Marcellus Ceruinus he was Cardinall of the crosse of Hierusalem when with the consent of all the Cardinals he was made Pope He being created the ix daye of Aprill would not chaunge his Christian name but would be called Marcellus the seconde and the next daye he receiued all the Papall ornamentes in Lateran Pallaice Charles the Emperour and his brother Ferdinand on a time thoughte it meete to prepare an armye against the the Turke and wrote to the Pope to moue him therein This Marcellus aunswered by his letter that the armye should rather be addressed against the Lutherans for these men he saide were worse then all Turkes But this he did before he came to the Popedome But in his Papacye he was an hotte defender of the Romishe superstition and a stronge enemye to the Lutheranes but he beinge one that was long troubled with the iaundies his disease toke him so sore that he dyed thereof the xxiii daye after his electioÌ„ being the third daye of Maye ¶ Theodoricus Gresmundus of the royat of Rome wryteth these Uerses followinge Roma caput scelerum niuei iactura pudoris Exitium fidei luxuriaeque parens Sola Venus dispensat opes dispensat honores Sola facit serua quicquid in vrbe libet Extollit magnosque facit sapientia turpes Sit procul in tenero cui sedet ore decor Tartara sunt molli potius adeunda iuuentae Si non est alius sit tibi barba comes Marcellus Ceruinus was borne at Mount Publican in the field of Florence who when he had well studied humanitye began to be a scholemaister Afterward when Pope Paule the third had created Alexander Farnesius his nephewe by his bastard sonne Peter Aloysius Cardinall being but a boye he made this Marcellus Ceruinê° his scholemaister But sone after Alexander the Cardinal leauing his learninge and forsaking his booke addicted himselfe wholly to other affayres wherein both he and Pope Paule the third vsed the seruice of Marcellus as of their Secretarye When the bishopricke of Nicaster fell voyde he was created bishop thereof but yet he liued still in the court as a retchlesse non resideÌ„t repayred not to his Church at all Pope Paule the thirde appointed the foresaide Cardinall Farnesius to be Embassadour to the Emperour to FerdinaÌ„d being both in Bulgarye but because he was as then but a boye he ioyned in commission with him this Ceruinê° to direct the whole order of the Embassage At that time the Emperour and Ferdinand were moste busye to make warre against the Turke which matter they moued earnestlye But Ceruinus did then publishe a booke which is yet extant in print wherein he shewed that they ought rather to set vpon the Lutheranes and that they were more detestable then any Turkes
a byshoprike he fisshed for a Caldinalship caught it Therevpon when he shoulde departe from Venice the Iesuites demaunded of him whither he went to whom he aunswered sayinge Whither I go ye cannot come meaninge thereby that he wente to the Pompe and dignitie of Rome as to an other heauen and that he shoulde leaue them in wretchednes and beggerye Thus it pleased hym to dally sport him selfe with the phrase of the holy ghost Many thinges are reported of him as that he was a stoute Champion for Purgatory and that he knewe the secretes of some mindes and that he dyd many wonders Vergerius sayth he dedicated a booke of reforminge the Churche to Paule the thirde and yet hee made no reformation in his owne time But saith hee who so euer readeth that â—ooke shall see that he confirmeth al those poyntes almost whiche we reproue in the papistes that is to say that the Churche is so decayed amonge them as it is rather the Churche of Sathan then of Christ. For he saithe that the Popes do for their owne luste store them selues with maysters hauing itching eares that the name of Christ is blasphemed amonge the Gentiles throughe Cardinalles and Bishops that the power of the keyes is wiped away with money that lewde persons are made priestes that Simonie is vsed as it were in open fayres that the prelates doe swell with Ambicion and Couetousnes that horrible villanies are practised in monasteries that Rome swarmeth w t shamelesse harlots and struÌ„pets beside many lyke matters onely towching theyr detestable maners but of their manifold superstitions of theyr butcherly slaughters and cruell tyranny raging at that time in Italy England France Spayne and other countries he speaketh not a woorde And yet saith Vergerius who made faithful searche therof wtin lesse then thirty yeares theyr inquisition of heresye hath deuoured and destroyed by diuers kinde of torments an hundred and fiftie thousande Christians This acompt Vergerius made aboue twenty yeares ago And since that time sauynge onely God be thanked for it in England in al the former countries this bloudy persecution for Religion hath not onely continued but mightely encreased Italy dayly tasteth the bytter gall of it as occasion serueth Spaine findeth that the heate therof burneth more feruently in the middest of winter then the scorching Sonne in the middest of sommer at noone daye the flame of the one turneth and tanneth theyr skynnes to black the coales of the other burneth theyr bodies to graye asshes And as towching Fraunce al Europe knoweth that as yet the worme in the grounde hath scant taynted the karkases of thousandes whiche within these fewe dayes haue ben martyred Thus we see howe that prowde Prynce of Babilon hath made all Christendome as it were his burning furnace to destroye those that wyll not fal downe to worshyp his golden image and yet howe that this littell Ilande walketh as it were in the myddest of this vniuersall flame and not so muche as our garmentes are once cinged therewith And yet it is well knowne howe carefull and busie the byshoppe of Rome with his accomplices hath bene to sturre coales amonge vs and to enkendle that fier in Englande the smoke wherof were sufficient to destroy vs who knoweth not howe that if his hotte thunderboltes of excommunication could any thing harme vs we had therewith ben beaten to pouder longe since If the rancke breath of his blacke curses might haue preuayled we had bin blowne to hell bequeathed aliue both bodye and soule to the deuil dampnation longe since If holye leagues as they terme them and conspyring vowes of sondrye estates by his procurement could haue bin stronger against vs then the hand of God with vs how many are we that should haue tasted miserye but how fewe should haue bin left to be waile it at this day When forren inuasions haue bin to weake hath not that Romaine prelate â—ought to procure treason amoÌ„g vs heare at home to delude the simple with bulles pardons entising them to renounce their alleageaunce to reuolt from their naturall Prince to rayse rebellioÌ„s against their owne countrey Hath not his bulls roared at Paules Church gate discharginge subiectes of their dutye And howe they haue wroughte in huggur mugger to steale awaye the hartes of Englishe subiectes manye poore widdowes and wretched orphanes at this daye in the North part of England with heauye harts ran testifye who haue lost their parentes and husbandes throughe detestable rebellion and sedition the roote whereof is the Romishe religion But because that these tumultes treasons and broyles wroughte since the raigne of oure most Gracious Queene against her maiestye and royall estate haue bin practised not in the time of this Pope Paule the fourth but by those that haue succeded him as Pius the fourth Pius the fift the gentle Reader is to be desired not to looke for the perfite discourse hereof as yet neyther the historye of their liues treachery and hurlye burlyes sturred in Christendome for so much as yet they are not to be sufficiently gathered by those Chronicles that haue bin latelye set forth or augmented As for Onuphrius who hath writteÌ„ their liues added to the historye of Platina because he is one hyred by the Pope to put his pen in vre for the cracked credit of their estate at this daye there is iust cause to thincke his wryting to be parciall as one that turneth the best side of his Popes face outward and that which is blemished eyther he hideth it or paynteth it with a fayre coloure to couer the foule blots thereof And therefore seing maister Bales trauaile doth staye heare in Paule the fourth this maye suffice till it shall please God to giue occasion of proceeding in the liues of those that haue succeeded during the raigne of the Queenes maiestye In the meanetime good Christian Reader coÌ„sider those treacheryes which by thy owne experience thou maiest knowe since her highnes came to the Crowne of the Popes dealinge against her Maiestye and her Realme weigh whereunto they tende by the example of these former historyes set forth in this woorke then I doubt not but euerye one shall finde that he hath iust cause to saye Blessed be Almightye God that hath thus preserued vs from the mouth of the Lion and from the wolfe in a Lambes skin I doubte not but they that haue ben false hartâ—d againste our most gracious Queene wyll consider theyr own folly theyr owne iniquitie madnes in enuyinge the good estate of so noble merciful godly most lawful a prince whom it hath pleased Iehoua to make oure Debora a most blessed and worthy instrument to the aduauÌ„cing of his glory the comfort of his Churche the preseruation of the happy and quiet estate of all trewe Englishe hartes the whiche greate treasures of Gods mercye so plentifullye powred vpon vs the Lord geue vs grace to vse them more thankfully then heretofore to glorifie his name with greatter zeale